Refreshingly Delicious Watermelon and Feta Salad

byJoan Robinett WilsononJuly 8, 2011

refreshing taste of summer

When watermelon salads first became trendy several years ago, I thought it was kind of weird. Then I decided to try one for myself and it has become my favorite go-to summer salad. You will love it – I promise you. I got the basic recipe from Sunset Magazine and it is exceedingly simple to make with just watermelon, feta, pinenuts, italian parsley and a very basic lemon vinaigrette. I use the blocks of feta cheese and I try to get the best I can afford at the moment. I have tried it without the pine nuts, but , honestly, it’s not as good. You don’t need many pine nuts, which is a good thing since they are super expensive, but I think you do need them. I get mine at Costco or I get the minimum amount (1/4 cup) needed from the bulk section at the grocery store. The great thing about this salad is that you can experiment – cilantro or mint are good substitutions for the parsley. I have not used any cheese except feta, but I bet those fresh little mozzarella balls would be good, too. Feel free to vary the amounts I specify, the original recipe if very vague!

Refreshingly Delicious Watermelon and Feta Salad

Ingredients:

1 small or 1/4 to 1/2 a largewatermelon, cut into chunks (I use enough to mostly fill my glass salad bowl)

7 oz. blockfeta cheese, chunked up (use more or less depending on your taste)

1/4 cuppine nuts, toasted

big handfulitalian flat leaf parsley, chopped

1/4 cupfresh squeezed lemon juice

3/4 cupscanola oil

saltto taste, on the heavy side

pepperto taste

Cooking Directions:

Toast the pine nuts in a dry small pan, stirring constantly until they are browned. They burn very easily and cost as much as gold, so keep stirring.

Toss together watermelon, feta, pine nuts and parsley.

Make a simple lemon vinaigrette of 1 part lemon to 3 parts oil. Salt heavily and pepper to taste.

Snohomish, WA is where you’ll find me, architect mom,”drafting a life”;working from home as an architect, managing my family’s lives, forgetting to clean the house, building some crazy thing or another, sometimes cooking a great meal and always packing my kids horrible lunches.